Roles playing in Middle-Earth.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

High hopes for the film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy are being fueled in part by the excellent cast put together by director Peter Jackson and his team. The principals:

_Elijah Wood: The puckish young actor from "The Ice Storm" and other films portrays hobbit Frodo Baggins, whose unpleasant burden it is to try to destroy a magical but evil "ring of power" sought by Sauron, the horrible "Lord of the Rings."

_Ian McKellen: Celebrated British Shakespearean actor ("X-Men," "Richard III," "Gods and Monsters") takes on the role of Gandalf the Grey, the wizard who must unite the peoples of Middle-Earth against Sauron.

_Liv Tyler: Winsome lass Tyler ("Stealing Beauty," "That Thing You Do") plays winsome lass Arwen Evenstar, an elvish beauty whose role in the film is reportedly much beefier than the passive one Tolkien created for her in the book.

_Ian Holm: Another respected Ian ("Alien," "Henry V") portrays Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's kinsman, an amiable and aging hobbit who unwittingly bequeaths Frodo the magic ring and its attendant burdens.

_Cate ...